NASCAR is part of the long tail of success
The Liberals and the NDP are taking turns criticizing the Conservatives for sponsoring Pierre Bourque's NASCAR efforts, and then laughing at the Conservatives for targeting this small demographic.
Maybe people laughed at Google once. Not anymore.
The Liberals and the NDP just don't seem to get it.
They are criticizing the decision of the Conservative Party to sponsor Pierre Bourque's NASCAR efforts, and so show off the Conservative logo at NASCAR events across Canada. One criticism is that the audience is small and very homogeneous:
Bob Stellick, a Toronto-based sports-marketing consultant, said NASCAR Canada is building on an existing base of people who are fans of U.S. NASCAR races.
He said that generally, NASCAR fans are less wealthy and more white than fans of other professional sports.
However, audiences are still small. The Canadian Tire NASCAR races are taped and broadcast later on TSN. The audiences are expected to be much lower than the 300,000 Canadians who typically watch races in the top-tier U.S.-based NASCAR Nextel Cup series.
It's not a market that the Liberal Party of Canada will enter any time soon. "It's American-style marketing based on focus groups. I find it bizarre that they're pretending to be environmental champions with these types of actions," Liberal MP Denis Coderre said.
The Conservatives are not trying to be environmental champions with this sponsorship. That is a different group. This is the NASCAR group.
Get it?
OK, you still don't get it.
Right, time to teach you about the long tail.
Imagine a graph in which you list the things that interest Canadians along the horizontal axis. For each interest, you place a bar representing the number of Canadians who think this is the most important thing. Then you arrange the interests so that the tallest bar goes first, then the next, and so on. You'll get a graph that looks something like this:
This first bar might be the environment, the next one health care, then Afghanistan, then taxes, and so on. NASCAR is off the right -- one of those little bars.
Of course, people have multiple interests, and value different things at different times, and the graph will look different regionally, but let's keep is simple. The Liberals and the NDP are laughing because the Conservatives are going after the NASCAR demographic. That little blip on the graph way off to the right.
Off to the right? I meant to the right of the graph, but the unintended pun makes some sense, I suppose.
What next? Faith groups? Can't be many of those in Canada.
Maybe bowlers. Maybe rodeo fans. Maybe softball leagues. Maybe homosexuals who are fiscally and socially conservative.
Each of these little bars on the right of the graph. Some might be tiny.
But here's the thing. If you add each of those little bits together, they easily overwhelm the big bars.
That's what we call the "long tail". It's an internet thing. Google makes a fortune going after it. Before, online advertisers only looked at major sites with 25 million page views a month. A small blog like mine could never gain the interest of these advertisers.
But there are millions of sites like mine. Google developed AdSense that automatically linked targeted ads with appropriate websites. I might earn a few pennies or a few bucks a day. But multiply that by millions of websites, and suddenly the long tail is giving the New York Times website a serious pasting. Advertisers pay Google to place them on hundreds of very small websites but with very targeted audiences, websites that the advertisers would never be able to find, or be able to establish contracts with.
And that's the problem with going after the long tail. It is hard to organize. Each little bar along the right of the graph represents a smallish group of people that needs to be targeted specifically.
In the old days, those people would be abandoned. It was not cost-effective to talk to them.
In the case of the AdSense, however, Google leverages its content analysis algorithms used for site indexing to drive ad matching in an automated (and so cost-effective) manner.
In the case of NASCAR, the Conservatives are targeting a group that probably overlaps with several other "small bars" along the long tail. For a few thousand bucks in party cash, all those NASCAR eyes will see the Conservative Party logo. And where there is no overlap with the NASCAR demographic, the Conservatives will develop another means of attracting another key demographic.
It's hard work, but the alternative -- just being the environment guy 24/7 -- is both lazy and inherently vulnerable. If the Conservatives pick up the votes from two dozen long tail interest groups, and then loses one because of a tough policy decision or a foolish comment, well, there are twenty-three groups still voting for you. If the Liberals lose the environment issue, splitting it with the NDP, for example, what's left?
Like the graph shows, there is nothing to the left of the environment, and if the Tories pick up the majority of the items to the right...
There's that pun again.
In the mean time, the Liberals, the NDP, and the Greens (and the Conservatives, for that matter) will fight it out for those few big items -- the environment and health care and taxation and such. Actually, the serious four-way fight will probably just be for one of those bars. There will be some successes and some failures for each party within these interest zones, but at the end of the day, it is the party the breaks out of the confines of the media-driven "only thing that matters" mentality and reaches out to all the various interest groups out there, like racing fans, and speaks to what is important to them in a respectful way that is aligned with a coherent party platform that will win out.
First NASCAR, then the bowling leagues, then the gay social conservatives. One interest group and one riding at a time.
Denis Coderre's comments show that the Liberal Party thinks only about the environment. If you don't think the environment is the only issue to base your vote on, your vote doesn't matter. You must be one of those little bars. But he's wrong.
Those votes do matter.
Because capturing the long tail is to win.
Ask Google.
By the way, do I have some inside knowledge that says this is the strategy? No I don't. I'm just speculating that this is part of a Tory strategy to go after the long tail, even if I'm the only one who uses that term.
And congratulations to Bourque for landing that sponsorship. There are not too many people who are perceived as being so successful at connecting with people both online and in the real world.
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Comments
I don't know about the NDP or Greens, but I bet the Liberals are just jealous that they didn't think of this first.
Posted by: Brian in Calgary at June 21, 2007 11:48 AM
Well, the reason why I have problems with this NASCAR sponsor is because how much of our tax money is going to this partisan sponsoring? Is the Conservative party using their money or is that money coming from our pockets?
If it was the Liberals in power who did that, then the Conservatives would demand a public inquiry, as I would do too.
Posted by: Crazy Dan at June 21, 2007 12:08 PM
This is Conservative Party money. Parties pay for party advertising out of their own pocket.
Posted by: Steve Janke at June 21, 2007 12:32 PM
I was at the race, and whenthey announced Pierre Bourque driving the Conservative Party of Canada car, I did a double take and asked my friend if he heard what I did. My friend thought it was a joke at first. I thought it was interesting considering the sport is so sponsor driven. I wondered if it was government money or CPC money. I believe it was CPC money. I also thought it was interesting because Pierre Bourque runs bourque.org and this can be seen perhaps as a way to ensure favorable representation for the CPC on his Newswatch site. At the end of the day though it was just another exciting race where CPC was just one of hundreds of sponsors represented there.
Posted by: Keith at June 21, 2007 12:49 PM
I just took a look at the NASCAR Canadian Tire Schedule of 12 races. And I see there's a race at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal on Aug 3-4. This would be an excellent opportunity for Harper to show up, maybe with the CPC candidate for Outremont, give the event a higher profile, attract more fans, plug Bourque's car, get interviewed on TSN, etc.
There's all kind of leveraging opportunities out of this. Harper goes to hockey games in the winter, and can now go to racing events in the summer. And of course Bourque can be counted on to be even more partisan in highlighting negative Liberal stories. Especially when guys like Coderre make this dumb environmental connection to the sport.
Posted by: Calgary Junkie at June 21, 2007 01:23 PM
This is like rink board advertising for your local Junior D team - its nice to show support and help a minor league raise some funds but to compare this series with the juggernaut that is NASCAR in the states is a joke. This is so low on the totem poll it makes winter league baseball seem like World Series ball.
This is about the Tories supporting someone who purports to be a journalist - who gives them favorable headlines for money. It is not about a demographic - it is about Pierre Bourque being nice to the Tories.
And Janke is right, it does not target the green demographic but it sure as hell is being noticed by it and they don't like it.
I personally can't wait for Pierre to run into a wall with this thing and we can all see wonderful photos of the wreckage that is the Conservative Party.
Posted by: anon at June 21, 2007 01:31 PM
I would never hope for a crash at a race. Not if the car was covered in Liberal red and NDP orange. Maybe I just don't take politics seriously enough.
Posted by: Steve Janke at June 21, 2007 01:35 PM
First of all, auto racing gives many towns/cities/ provinces dollars in their coffers from race fans attending races.
Guess no one seems fit to mention that the Liberals under adscam paid taxpayer dollars for Canadain flags at the F! race in Quebec, not to mention attending themselves with free? tickets from ad execs.
And this series was formerly CASCAR. Nascar thought there to be enough interest in Canada to take over and support the series, which does provide excelleant racing.
Now how about all you LIB/NDP/GREEN start bashing all the other sponsors of this racing. GM,Ford,Toyota,Dodge,Canadian Tire,Home Hardware,Tim Hortons,etc.
Lets see you criticise them for supporting something you say is enviro-unfreindly, just to be fair.
And by the way, Nascar uses fuel containing ethanol.
Posted by: paulsstuff at June 21, 2007 01:57 PM
The reason why the Liberals hate it is because they are so elite they despise the working stiffs that like to watch NASCAR.
Posted by: Victor Ward at June 21, 2007 02:20 PM
This is a brilliant move by the Conservative Party and I'm sure the Liberals are kicking themselves for not thinking of it. Just look at how much everyone is talking about this. Plus, the MSM will be showing snippets of this car just because. It's not only the NASCAR viewers in Canada who will see this.
Now I think the Conservatives should take this idea and expand upon it. I think they should bid on tarps (too late for Stampede) for the Chuckwagon racing circuit this summer. A million people go to Calgary Stampede. Add in the spectators of all the other rodeos this summer. Alot of people would be looking at that Conservative logo in alot of places around Canada.
Posted by: Reid at June 21, 2007 02:28 PM
Great article, Steve. I want to point something out. Something you won't find Susan Smith whispering.out loud about to Don Newman. Those Libs in Ottawa are all Bourque pals. They love the guy. Dion's people, Ignatieff's people, Kennedy's people, Chretien's people, even Martin's people. And some of them are kicking themselves left right and centre for having not seen the opportunity to sponsor him. Well, almost everyone. Because one of Bourque's sponsors is Pollara, the official Liberal Party pollster. See http://www.pierrebourque.com. And that's exactly why only the bit players like Kinsella and Coderre have been voicing their mock outrage.
Posted by: Murray at June 21, 2007 02:43 PM
To Anon - shame on you. I hope you run into a wall head first.
You are a very jealous liberal who can't do anything right but know how to brag plus some other things like ---------------.
md
Posted by: .m.j.deVille at June 21, 2007 02:58 PM
I don't know about Canada but in the U. S., the NASCAR demographic is surprising. It is certainly working class and heavily of Scots-Irish descent, but many are actually entrepreneurs making the long green on their own B, S & T. They drive great cars, have big homes and support their local economy. Getting to the tracks in the South [the holy land] are a logistical nightmare. Best Westerns charge upwards of $200 a night with lodging booked for a hundred miles around. My last trip to Bristol involved a puddle-jumper flight to Nashville, a 200-mile drive to our hotel outside Knoxville followed by an 100+ mile drive to Bristol. THEN, you have to walk a couple of miles to get to the track and climb several stories to get to the best seats. The Holy Grail, Talladega, is even more daunting - truly a pilgrimage. And, if you're a believer, it's worth it. If NASCAR actually caught on in Canada, I'd be amazed and impressed. You probably won't be surprised to know that Canada's kindred state, Washington, has a politician who indicated that they didn't want a NASCAR track because they didn't want to attract tourists they wouldn't like as neighbors. There's that liberal arrogance again. You can be a socialist assassin and pass muster but if you're caucasion and conservative, they'd just as soon kill you as look at you. Interestingly, two of the better drivers are from Washington State, Kahne - not doing well this year - and Greg Biffle, also lackluster. They're talented nonetheless.
Posted by: iowavette at June 21, 2007 03:00 PM
That Crazy Dan lives up to his name.My guess is he works in a radio station advertising department, or maybe a community newspaper out in Armpit Ontario and he'd rather see all political advertising restricted to radio, newspapers, and TV. Wake up, Dan, you crazy git, the Twentieth Century is long gone.
I like the chuckwagon idea. Why not a dragon boat for the big races in Vancouver too ?
Or how about a boat in the Lake Winnipeg bass derby ?
Posted by: larry at June 21, 2007 03:01 PM
It sure beats the old liberal way of advertising... The old brown bag stuffed full of tainted money.
Props to the conservatives for imaginative ways of thinking. Liberal waterheads just can't think outside the box.
Posted by: levesque at June 21, 2007 03:02 PM
I would never wish injury on anyone, but a big part of stock car racing's popularity is the close contact between cars and crashes. Why do you think they show a replay of a crash from 6 different angles?
I'm a huge NASCAR fan but I just don't think the Conservative Party sponsoring a wanna be jouranlist is going to win over votes.
Posted by: anon at June 21, 2007 03:23 PM
larry, oh grow up! I'm a Conservative voter, but I was just concerned about if the government money or the party money was used in this sponsoring stuff. I don't know when it is a blasphermy to ask something about how money is spent. Plus, I don't work in the MSM, so your jab is pointless. Next time you want to reply, find something original instead of calling me a leftist. I'm even from Calgary!
Steve Janke, thank you for answering my question about the money. How much would it cost to sponsor a NASCAR car?
Posted by: Crazy Dan at June 21, 2007 03:24 PM
Larry:
For Vancouver, instead of a Dragon boat, how about:
"The Conservative Party of Canada's Symphony of Fire"
I like that.
Posted by: Reid at June 21, 2007 03:51 PM
Reid, I mentioned the dragon boat race because of the overwhelming asian influence in our city. Symphonies are nice too, I guess.
Dan, you crazy git, you are no more Conservative than I am NDP.
Besides, I read Greg Weston's column today while I was on the toilet at the Burger King and he says the Liberals are the biggest wasters of our tax dollars. He's dead on.
Posted by: Larry at June 21, 2007 04:07 PM
Larry:
Do you know what the Symphony of Fire is (or was)? Although I see it's name has changed to "The Celebration of Light" now that Bensen & Hedges tobacco can no longer sponsor it. It's the annual fireworks display in Vancouver that over 100,000 people view each night it's on and has been happening for like 15 years or so.
So I suggested it, over the dragon boat, because of exposure (and I was trying to be a smartass). I guess that just went over your head.
So now it should be "The Conservative Party of Canada's Celebration of Light."
Posted by: Reid at June 21, 2007 04:52 PM
Cost to sponsor? $25,000
Posted by: Steve Janke at June 21, 2007 04:57 PM
Larry, you are welcome to believe about if I'm a Liberal or Conservative. You have your own self delusions. But yeah, I voted against the Liberals in 2006 because the waste of air people stole my frigging tax money to waste on a waste of space, Quebec. Do I need to say any more about why I'm concerned about the taxes?
Posted by: Crazy Dan at June 21, 2007 05:58 PM
Dan, you're not only a crazy git, but you're also a racist bigot.
Posted by: Larry at June 21, 2007 06:24 PM
Well, I will restrict my thoughts to the topic at hand, not whether Dan is nuts or not.
Pierre Bourque is a Libreal who happens to like racing. He is a journalist/blogger as well, and wanted to combine his two passions. Racing, and his site. He uses the racing to promote his site by running in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, and he wants to maybe pay the bills with someone elses money. So who ponies up? The Conservatives. Says a lot about Pierre that he took the money, and it says volumes about the Libs for not sponsoring one of their own with a passion. This sponsorship is peanuts and is for the Montreal race only is it not? In any case, I think what it really says is two things:
1) The CPC knows about that long tail theory and they know the NASCAR/racing crowd will be more to their base than a bunch of poetry festivals in Vancouver would be and 2)The Conservatives HAVE the money to do things like this. The Libs are broke, the NDP REALLY Broke, and the BQ...well lets just say they wouldn't know a good idea if it hit them in the head. The dirty little secret is under the new rules of financing for the parties that Chretien brought in has CRIPPLED all the parties but the CPC. Why? Simple. Personal donations are the only money left after the buck or so a vote is given based on the previous election. The CPC are the only party really able to mine their membership for funds because they are the only party actually supported by people who pay taxes and actually give a damn on how it is spent. The fact they could do this little foray into racing is telling....very telling and it says good things about Conservatives...
Posted by: Mark in Bowmanville at June 21, 2007 06:41 PM
I wonder who is underestimating the NASCAR fan. Political parties in sports advertising is typically in bad taste. In the case of direct relevance, perhaps the Green Party sponsoring a solar powered auto race, exceptions are possible.
The direct relevance between NASCAR and the CPoC seems as obvious as it is distasteful. Not only can NASCAR fans see this, but even political dweebs, pundits and the like.
Cue the apologist and a host of discredited theories....
Posted by: S McPolin at June 21, 2007 07:01 PM
Interesting to me that nothing in the article makes any mention whatsoever about policies, programs or otherwise reasons to support the Conservative party. Apparently, according to Janke, Nascar fans are so stupid as to not care about any of those things or any other issues, but will be magically hypnotized by a Conservative party logo that will make them support them.
This incredibly simplistic approach also, sadly, appears to be the norm for this crew - don't give anyone, anywhere any credit for being more intelligent than your average park bench; show them symbols, spew key message words, attack outrageously, unfairly and often, and question the love of country of anyone who disagrees.
If it works, then it is all of our faults.
Also, Bourque as an impartial news aggregator? He has been bought and paid for for a long time now. It's almost cute that there are people who til think otherwise.
Posted by: canadian at June 21, 2007 07:30 PM
Just one thought - It has been known for decades that NASCAR fans are very loyal to those who sponsor their sport. Whether that holds true to any degree in Canada remains to be seen.
Posted by: Bill in Calgary at June 21, 2007 09:06 PM
It's all about brand recognition ... and once the race is over, all those people will know about the Conservative party and that PM Harper is their kind of guy. Not only that, those who attend the races will tell their friends about the Big C car and how nice it was for the Harper Conservatives to sponsor it.
Also, Canadian Tire sponsors Bourque's car, so if they place pictures of that car in any company flyers many more people will see it and the Big C logo. Come the election the recognition factor will kick in.
Of course, the Liberals and NDP will not even finish last because they are not even in the race..LOL
Posted by: Observer at June 21, 2007 11:12 PM
Cons say this is their own money. And where do you get your own money? From the taxpayer!!! Every conservative vote is worth $1.75 and that is paid from tax money. All the donations are tax credits and that is tax money.
So why is Steve's party pork barreling with taxpayers money? First he sets up a humongous campaign headquarters that musta cost millions for an election that never happened, then millions more are spent on election style advertisements for an election that never happened and now it's taxpayers money to sponsor a gas guzzler that goes in circles. Just like Steve.
Posted by: hiti at June 22, 2007 03:19 AM
Hiti, for the love of Christ, you should stop spewing your ridiculous lame-brainers on the net after an intoxicating night of vodka guzzling.
Posted by: Quebec Guy at June 22, 2007 04:40 AM
Maybe they can pay your legal fees.
Posted by: Anon at June 22, 2007 06:32 AM
NASCAR fans are less wealthy??? Mr. Simpson has never been to a race, has he? A dollar for every RV that shows up, he would be wealthy. You think the toy car business is dumb?
Yes, it is very white, but mostly suburban/rural, faith and family oriented, and conservative. Conservative?
And it is a lifestyle thing. My weekends are driven by NASCAR coverage. I have lots of things to do, but the wife leads. I print out the NASCAR TV schedule on Thursdays so she doesn't miss practice and qualifying. You think I carry Sirius radio for Howard?
Loyalty? Next time you are driving to work keep an eye out for a the cars with #3, #8, #24 in the back window.
One might ask Mr. Simpson why the Lillydale Chef shows up on Canadian polls as one of the most recognized media personalities. He did not get there from appearances on CFTO News. As for TSN coverage, they still live in Toronto. Nuff said. Last year they shared taped delayed Busch with Sportsnet. Not this year.
Lets see, tonight is the Truck race, and laundry. Tommorrow, the family is coming over, but the Busch race is on Sirius. On Sunday, golf in the morning but home in time for the Cup.
I can see what CPC sees, and the Liberals know it as well.
Posted by: john at June 22, 2007 07:08 AM
Yes, NASCAR is popular - but that's Nextel Cup NASCAR. Ratings drop off a great deal for Busch Series, Truck series and then the regional stock car racing that acts as the developmental leagues. Below that is what used to be CASCAR. It is very small and no one watches - and Pierre Bourque is a lousy driver. TSN carries taped coverage. The CPC would have been better off sponsoring a player at the World Series of Poker as it gets major tv time.
Posted by: anon at June 22, 2007 07:15 AM
The reasons offered by the environmentalists, Liberals and NDP for why the Bourque / CPC sponsorship are a joke.
NASCAR stock cars are powered by the most finely-tuned (i.e. non-polluting) motors you will find anywhere. An inefficient engine means you will lose the race.
Maybe these genius reporters would like to compare racing to the environmental impact of baseball, hockey, basketball and football whose teams fly all over North America to their games in ageing, inefficient, half-empty charter planes?
Any single one of these flights is 'dirtier' than what comes out of the tailpipes at a season full of NASCAR Canadian Tire Series races.
Further, once the 'stick and ball' teams emerge from their dirty, old planes, they compete in air-conditioned 50,000-seat domes and arenas. And the outdoor stadiums have enough high-powered lighting that they can be seen from space.
The Liberals: Them screaming about this sponsorship being proof that Stephen Harper can't be trusted (http://www.liberal.ca/story_12917_e.aspx) is akin to Paul Bernardo calling a Girl Scout "a murderer." All of the sudden, the Liberals are against motorsports? Riiiiiiight.
The Liberals replaced the tobacco money sponsorship of the F1 race in Montreal WITH TAX DOLLARS. And then they promptly set up schemes with their ad agency buddies so that the money was used to pay their election debts and buy boxes of $4,000/bottle Petrus wine.
And we still don't know how much of this money made it into their pockets via those little brown bags. Harper should bring this up every time some Adscam Liberal makes a peep about the CPC's sponsorship of Bourque.
The NDP: If I was a Canadian Auto Worker, I would be livid. The cars that are showcased in the Canadian Tire Series are Dodge Chargers & Avengers. They're Ford Fusions and Tauruses (Tauri?). They're Chevrolet Monte Carlos and Pontiac Grand Prix. 10s of thousands of Canadian jobs depend on the existence of these cars and the parts that go into them.
Seeing the NDP make fun of NASCAR racing on a Canadian racetrack would be the final straw for me if I worked at a parts or assembly plant in Oshawa, Brampton, Oakville or Windsor... watching part of my union dues going to the NDP.
How stupid is Jack Layton (rhetorical question) that he's openly cutting the throats of Canadian Auto Workers by denoucing these races, cars and drivers as environmentally incorrect and "American"... when it's a very clean sport relative to most others... and any way you look at it, the drivers, cars, teams, sponsors, fans, etc.... are all 100% Canadian.
What Layton and his sidekicks are doing is particularly cynical, dusgusting and damaging considering the fragile state of the Canadian auto industry.
In the U.S., the United Auto Workers sponsor several events. They're smart enough to know where their bread is buttered. Racing sells cars. By doing what he's doing, Jack Layton is saying he's at war with every Canadian auto worker.
Finally, the hypocrites in the media. Every outlet has had a columnist spout off on this "environmentally dirty," "American-style", sponsorship of a "redneck" sport.
Meanwhile, they all survive on car ads from 'The Big 3' and Canadian Tire. The Toronto Sun's Greg Weston was making fun of how dirty the racing is the other day... if you could find his column sandwiched in between all of the Sun's NASCAR and Steelback Grand Prix ads.
Apparently, Sun Media is a big sponsor of both. Talk about the pot calling the kettle 'black'.
The bottom line is that this entire furor over the CPC/Bourque sponsorship is nothing more than the Liberals, NDP and the liberal media (redundant) taking a run at their enemy in any way they can.
They all hate Harper so much that they don't care about how many Canadians they crush during their crusade.
Posted by: gwgm at June 22, 2007 08:27 AM
1st para. fix:
"The reasons offered by the environmentalists, Liberals and NDP for why the Bourque / CPC sponsorship is a bad thing are ignorant, disingenuous and cynical. The end result is a direct attack on Canadian racers, fans and the Canadian auto industry."
... see above for why. :) Have a great weekend.
Posted by: gwgm at June 22, 2007 08:48 AM
I listened to some psychotic, shrill, tripple hyphenated PMSed out woman from the dippers trying to make political points on the CPC sponsoring NASCAR...it was really laughable ( where is chuck barris and his gong?).
We were all lectured on "what is an acceptable sports interest for Canadians" and obviously NASCAR is not an official Dipper-sanctioned "Canadian sport"...it is, in fact, atributed to the evil motor culture to the south...it is earth unfriendly and just plain "mean". As I listened to this scolding being handed out to everyone who ever drove a sports car or had interest in the motoe sports, I was struck by how morbidly narrow minded the left has become.
This crazy rant was on a national radio show and all it really accomplished was revealing the Dips as a bunch of PMSed nagging harpies with no connection to the fabric of Canadian society outside the narrow attitudes displayed by aprtment dwelling, metropolitan PMSed women who wet-nurse cats and house plants.
Someone send the Dips a supply of light days!
Posted by: WL Mackenzie Redux at June 22, 2007 08:56 AM
Angry, unbelievable overview. Bang on. Except I will suggest that the
end result is that Bourque has this week become the most well-known auto racer in Canada. It has also given his sponsor countless free publicity all favourable to the Tory support base.
While we're at it, I want to know what Coderre's relationship was with Claude Boulay, the Adscam fraudster who was instrumental in all those government millions flowing to the Canadian F1 in Montreal.
I'd also like to know what Kinsella suckled off the provincial teat in my province for his disastrous Lottogate PR advice.
Posted by: Bob at June 22, 2007 09:00 AM
Ouch, Bob, well said !
Posted by: anon at June 22, 2007 09:38 AM
This is not about attracting voters through NASCAR, it's about paying money to influence Bourque in a legal way without having to declare it on his website.
If the Conservatives win over a few NASCAR fans, then great. The real goal is to win many more people over from his website.
Posted by: Justin Tetreault at June 22, 2007 12:39 PM
Justin, a fool and his whack-job conspiracies are hard to separate, as you well prove.
Crazy Dan, your intellectual equal has just appeared.
Posted by: Larry at June 22, 2007 02:50 PM
Arrogance and Liberals?
In Ontario the McGuinty government just announced that cars that look like they could be used for street racing will be seized, and destroyed.
This is the solution offered to counter street racing.
Seems that Liberals seem more interested in finding solutions that don't work, and telling the sheep they think Canadians are that it will work.
On the anti-Nascar rants by politicians, the simple truth is that there are more than one way to skin a cat.
That the Liberals don't see that or understand that speaks to danger for Canadians.
Gus
Posted by: BlackKnightGus at June 22, 2007 11:06 PM
Speaking of Kinsella, he's eerily quiet. Should we wonder what he's up to or should we assume there's nothing happening he can proudly rave on about?
For the Conservatives, who have money, BECAUSE PEOPLE SUPPORT THEM, putting their brand on NASCAR beats talking to assholes like Blondie Fife or Me Jane Taber et al.
Posted by: Libby at June 23, 2007 07:14 AM
Kinsella's having some kind of mid-life meltdown.
He worries about the state of the global environment while driving around Toronto in his noxious exhaust-spewing leaded gas circa 1968 Volkswagen Beetle.
He complains about being ungodly tired, then goes out all night with other middle-aged head-bangers, content to slide through life lamenting the good old days when Johnny Rotten was king and 8-track players were all the rage.
What a bonehead.
Posted by: Aunt Beryl at June 23, 2007 08:26 AM
One of the best drivers on the face of the planet is a Canuck, Ron Fellows. He drives some NASCAR and Busch but rules the American Lemans Series driving Corvettes for Chevrolet. He's looking to retire while he's younger than I, the dog. I'll light a candle, however. He is one in a million.
Posted by: iowavette at June 25, 2007 12:38 PM
 
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